Scotland
Mr David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will list the legislation her Department has sponsored which has devolved powers to the Scottish Parliament and powers within such legislation since 1998. [156231]
David Mundell: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Scotland Office.
The Scotland Office is responsible for maintaining and strengthening the devolution settlement; together with lead policy Departments we have delivered a programme of Scotland Act orders that have provided additional powers to the Scottish Parliament, as well as delivering the Scotland Act 2012 that enhanced the devolution settlement and provided the largest transfer of financial responsibility since 1999.
Further devolution to the Scottish Parliament is principally achieved by way of amendments to schedules
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4 and 5 of the Act. Since 1998 the following changes to those schedules have been made. These are presented in summary form.
Amendments to schedule 4 to the Scotland Act 1998
Power to modify the Scotland Act 1998 regarding financial assistance for opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament.
Powers to modify certain provisions of the Scotland Act 1998 requiring any sum to be payable out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund.
Power to provide that proceedings brought in a court or tribunal against a member of the Scottish Government under the Scotland Act 1998 on human rights grounds have to be brought before the end of a limitation period (since repealed by Scotland Act 2012).
Amendments to schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998
The making of payments to any political party for the purpose of assisting members of the Parliament to perform their parliamentary duties.
A power to allow the Scottish Parliament to conduct a referendum on the independence of Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom, subject to certain conditions.
Financial and economic matters
Powers to set a rate of income tax to be paid by Scottish taxpayers, and taxes in relation to land transactions and landfill.
The interception of any communication made to or by a person detained at a place of detention.
The regulation of air weapons.
Powers in relation to business associations which are social landlords, including in relation to winding up proceedings and procedures giving protection from creditors.
Powers to provide financial assistance for the provision of services (other than postal services and services relating to money or postal orders) to be provided from public post offices.
Powers to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of rail services.
Powers to transfer functions of passenger transport executives or passenger transport authorities relating to rail services, and the allocation of such functions among relevant authorities.
The promotion and construction of railways which start, end and remain in Scotland.
Power to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of air services.
Powers to provide occasional financial or other assistance to or in respect of individuals for the purposes of meeting an immediate short-term need, arising out of exceptional services, to avoid risk to the individual’s well-being, or enabling qualifying individuals to establish or maintain a settled home.
Fire safety on construction sites and on certain premises, including those concerned in the manufacture or storage of chemicals, explosives or flammable materials.
Amendment to part 1 of the Scotland Act 1998
Power to make provision as to the conduct of elections for membership of the Scottish Parliament, and the questioning of such an election and the consequences of irregularities. Made by the Scotland Act 2012 and yet to be brought into force.
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Justice
Alcoholic Drinks: Young People
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been convicted for buying alcohol on behalf of a minor in the last five years. [155778]
Jeremy Wright: The number of offenders found guilty at all courts of buying alcohol on behalf of a minor in England and Wales, from 2007 to 2011 (the latest available) can be viewed in the table.
Information on court proceedings in 2012 is planned for publication on 30 May 2013.
Community Orders
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what proportion of prisoners are (a) invited to participate in and (b) participate in restorative justice; [153958]
(2) what proportion of people who accept victims' services are (a) offered and (b) participate in restorative justice programmes. [153959]
Jeremy Wright: Information about the numbers of offenders or victims who are invited to participate in a restorative justice programme, or take up that offer, is not collated centrally.
Restorative Justice (RJ) activity can take a range of different forms, depending on the circumstances of the individual case, and there are a range of referral routes for both offenders and victims at various points of the justice system.
Referrals and offers of RJ should be responsive to victims' needs and take into account relevant suitability and eligibility criteria, including an assessment of the readiness of participants, and a risk assessment to ensure that there will be no further harm caused by participation in RJ activity. There are consequently a range of reasons why victims and offenders who are offered the opportunity to take part in some form of RJ activity may not subsequently take part.
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Driving Offences: Sentencing
Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will consider the merits of setting a minimum custodial sentence for offenders convicted of a second or third driving-related offence. [155995]
Jeremy Wright: The Government have no plans to create a mandatory minimum sentence for repeat driving offences at the present time. There is nothing preventing the courts from imposing sentences up to the maximum penalty if the offending behaviour is serious enough. This includes custodial sentences of up to 14 years for the most serious offences, including driving while disqualified and driving or attempting to drive under the influence of excess alcohol, as well as dangerous driving and offences where death was caused. The courts take relevant previous offences into account into deciding what sentence to impose.
We do keep all offences and penalties under review. That is why we created a new offence of causing serious injury by dangerous driving in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 which carries a five-year maximum prison sentence, and which was commenced on 3 December.
Electronic Tagging
Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on electronic monitoring in each year since 2005. [152820]
Jeremy Wright: The figures provided in the following table, which have been drawn from management information systems, show expenditure on contracted-out electronic monitoring services for each financial year. Although great care has been taken in processing the payment records the figures, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
The increase in expenditure is mainly driven by the increase in offenders monitored by electronic monitoring.
| Expenditure on electronic monitoring services, 2005-06 to 2012-13 | |
| Total cost (£ million) | |
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost has been of electronic tagging of offenders in each of the last 10 years. [155601]
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Jeremy Wright: The figures provided in the following table, which have been drawn from management information systems, show expenditure on contracted-out electronic monitoring services for each financial year. Although great care has been taken in processing the payment records the figures, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
The increase in expenditure is mainly driven by the increase in offenders monitored by electronic monitoring.
| Expenditure on electronic monitoring services, 2003-04 to 2012-13 | |
| Total cost (£ million) | |
Employment Tribunals Service
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of employment tribunal awards were not paid in the past three years for which figures are available; and what assessment he has made of the value of such awards. [156403]
Mrs Grant: Where an employment tribunal makes a judgment with an element of a monetary award, that judgment will be issued to the parties involved, and the respondent will be directed to pay as appropriate. If the respondent fails to satisfy that award (i.e. fails to make the appropriate payment), the claimant is then able to bring enforcement proceedings through a civil court. Therefore the employment tribunal has no means of ascertaining what awards are satisfied, and what awards are not. As a result there is no information held on the number of awards that are satisfied, or the number that remain unpaid.
Under the previous Government, in May 2009, the Ministry of Justice published research, conducted by IFF Research Ltd, which considered payment and non-payment of employment tribunal awards. That research is available via the Ministry of Justice website at:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/employment-tribunal-awards.pdf
Human Trafficking: Victim Support Schemes
Margot James: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) nationality and (b) gender was of each suspected victim of trafficking referred to the Trafficking Victim Support Scheme operated by the Salvation Army in March 2013; in which (i) region and (ii) local authority area each of the suspected victims was found; and which agency referred each case to this scheme. [155114]
Mrs Grant:
In March 2013 there were 61 referrals to the Government-funded support service for adult victims of human trafficking in England and Wales administered by the Salvation Army. In the interests of victim safety
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only the region in which the victim was encountered is provided, and not the local authority. Details are provided as follows:
| Nationality | Gender | Region | Agency type |
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Mr Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) nationality and (b) gender was of each suspected victim of trafficking referred to the Trafficking Victim Support Scheme operated by the Salvation Army in April 2013; in which (i) region and (ii) local authority area each of the suspected victims was found; and which agency referred each case to this scheme. [155115]
Mrs Grant: In April 2013 there were 71 referrals to the Government-funded support service for adult victims of human trafficking in England and Wales administered by the Salvation Army. In the interests of victim safety only the region in which the victim was encountered is provided, and not the local authority. Details are provided as follows:
| Nationality | Gender | Region | Agency type |
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Legal Aid Scheme: Wales
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was paid out in criminal legal aid costs to solicitors firms in (a) Wrexham constituency and (b) North Wales in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [154887]
Jeremy Wright: The Legal Aid Agency records costs relating to firms by legal aid procurement area, which is broadly based on local authority boundaries. The information requested falls under the remit of the Legal Services Commission; however the same applies as the information has historically been recorded by local authority.
This information is provided in the table in relation to the Wrexham local authority and the North Wales region.
| Criminal legal aid costs, North Wales | |||
| £ million | |||
| 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | |
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| Notes: 1. The costs include VAT and disbursements such as expenses, third party costs, and costs paid by Her Majesty's' Courts and Tribunals Services (HMCTS) on crown court cases. 2. The information does not include costs paid by the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, House of Lords, and Senior Court Costs Office. Solicitor advocates are treated as barristers and costs paid to them are not included as part of the firm. | |||
Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many firms received criminal legal aid payments in (a) Wrexham constituency and (b) North Wales in each of the last three years for which records are available. [156067]
Jeremy Wright: The Legal Aid Agency and its predecessor the Legal Services Commission (pre-1 April 2013) records costs relating to firms by legal aid procurement area, which is broadly based on local authority boundaries. We have provided this information as a reasonable proxy for constituency boundaries in relation to the Wrexham local authority and the North Wales region.
| Criminal legal aid firms, North Wales | |||
| Number | |||
| 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | |
| Note: Solicitor advocates are treated as barristers and not included as part of the firm. | |||
Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was paid out in criminal legal aid costs to solicitors firms in (a) Wrexham constituency and (b) North Wales in each of the last three years for which records are available. [156068]
Jeremy Wright: The Legal Aid Agency and its predecessor the Legal Services Commission (pre 1 April 2013) records costs relating to firms by legal aid procurement area, which is broadly based on local authority boundaries. We have provided this information as a reasonable proxy for constituency boundaries in relation to the Wrexham local authority and the North Wales region.
| Criminal legal aid costs, North Wales | |||
| £ million | |||
| 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | |
| Notes: 1. The costs include VAT and disbursements such as expenses, third party costs, and costs paid by Her Majesty's' Courts and Tribunals Services (HMCTS) on crown court cases. 2. The information does not include costs paid by the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, House of Lords, and Senior Court Costs Office. Solicitor advocates are treated as barristers and costs paid to them are not included as part of the firm. | |||
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many firms received criminal legal aid payments in (a) Vale of Clwyd constituency and (b) North Wales in each of the last three years for which records are available. [156069]
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Jeremy Wright: The Legal Aid Agency and its predecessor the Legal Services Commission (pre-1 April 2013) records costs relating to firms by legal aid procurement area, which is broadly based on local authority boundaries. We have provided this information as a reasonable proxy for constituency boundaries in relation to the Denbighshire local authority and the North Wales region.
| Criminal legal aid firms, North Wales | |||
| Number | |||
| 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | |
Please also note that solicitor advocates are treated as barristers and not included as part of the firm.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was paid out in criminal legal aid costs to solicitors firms in (a) Vale of Clwyd constituency and (b) North Wales in each of the last three years for which records are available. [156070]
Jeremy Wright: The Legal Aid Agency and its predecessor the Legal Services Commission (pre-1 April 2013) records costs relating to firms by legal aid procurement area, which is broadly based on local authority boundaries. We have provided this information as a reasonable proxy for constituency boundaries in relation to the Denbighshire local authority and the North Wales region.
| Criminal legal aid costs | |||
| £ million | |||
| 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | |
| Notes: 1. The costs include VAT and disbursements such as expenses, third party costs, and costs paid by Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Services (HMCTS) on crown court cases. 2. The information does not include costs paid by the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, House of Lords, and Senior Court Costs Office. Solicitor advocates are treated as Barristers and costs paid to them are not included as part of the firm. | |||
Pay
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance his Department issues on the actions that would result in the suspension or removal of a bonus payment to an official in his Department; what the process is for clawing back such bonuses; and on how many occasions this has happened in each of the last five years. [155002]
Mrs Grant: Non-consolidated performance-related payments are always paid retrospectively in two categories:
(1) An ‘outstanding’ rating in an end-of-year review.
(2) Reward for a particular piece of work that deserves recognition.
‘In year’ payments to officials under the Ministry's recognition and reward policies are restricted to a maximum of £500 per single event.
Payments to members of the senior civil service are determined through the ‘end-of-year’ performance and moderation process and are restricted in line with advised Cabinet Office guidelines for maximum payment levels.
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Prison Sentences
Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the costs and damages ordered by the European Court of Human Rights to be paid to Mr Brett James, Mr Nicholas Wells and Mr Jeffrey Lee in its judgement of 18 September 2012 were paid. [153900]
Damian Green: All three offenders are serving an indeterminate sentence of imprisonment for public protection (IPP), imposed before changes to the statutory construction of the sentence came into effect in July 2008. The Court did not find the IPP sentence unlawful. Her Majesty’s Government will continue to fight vigorously any claims citing the European Court’s judgment brought by offenders serving an IPP sentence in the domestic courts, which it considers to be without merit.
The costs and damages awarded to Mr Brett James and Mr Nicholas Wells, ordered by the European Court of Human Rights, were paid on 5 March 2013. For Mr Lee, payment was made on 4 March 2013.
The Court ordered that €3,000, €8,000 and €6,200 in respect of compensation be paid to Mr James, Mr Lee and Mr Wells respectively. The Court also ordered that €12,000 be paid to each offender in respect of costs.
Prisoners
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) age group, (b) length of sentence and (c) declared health problem by type is of the UK prison population. [155566]
Jeremy Wright: Information on the prison population in England and Wales by length of sentence and age group are published and available in the prison population section of the ‘Offender Management Statistics Quarterly Bulletin' available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/series/prisons-and-probation-statistics
The requested data can be found in Table 1.1a and Table 1.8 respectively.
Information is not held centrally on prisoners’ declared health problems. However, in November 2010, the Ministry of Justice published the results of a survey of prisoners sentenced to between one month and four years in 2005 and 2006 (Surveying Prisoner Crime Reduction—SPCR). The survey found that 34% of prisoners reported having a long-standing illness, disability or infirmity (Table 1). (Ministry of Justice 2010, ‘Compendium of reoffending statistics and analysis’. November 2010.)
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This self-report might exclude those with hidden issues, those who were not able to disclose mental illness, and those without insight into their condition. A separate analysis of prisoners' responses to this question, questions about their general health, and answers to an anxiety and depression screening scale found that approximately 36% of the sample could be considered to have a disability. This figure is made up of 28% with anxiety and depression, 11% with some form of physical disability, and 8% both (figures do not add up to 36% because of rounding) (Cunniffe, C, Van de Kerckhove, R, Williams K, and K Hopkins ‘Estimating the prevalence of disability amongst prisoners: results from the Surveying Prisoner Crime Reduction (SPCR) survey’. Ministry of Justice Research Summary 4/12).
This can be compared to estimates of disability among the general population ranging from around one in five (19%) (Office for National Statistics 2007, ‘Family Resources Survey Statistical Report’ 2005/06) to one in four (26%) (Howe 2010, ‘Life Opportunities Survey’ Interim Results: 2009/10).
These estimates may not include short-term or temporary illnesses or conditions.
Mr Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were in prison in the last year for which figures are available; how many and what proportion of such people have been subject to restorative justice procedures; how many and what proportion of such people (a) met the victims of their crimes, (b) made reparations and (c) made a contract to pay back to their victims, their families or the local community in recompense for their actions. [155569]
Jeremy Wright: Information on the population in prison is published and available in the prison population section of the 'Offender Management Statistics Quarterly Bulletin', available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/series/prisons-and-probation-statistics
The requested data can be found in Table 1.1a.
Information is not held centrally on whether or not offenders have been subject to restorative justice procedures while in prison. NOMS is committed to developing capacity to increase the use of restorative justice in the future given its impact on offending.
Prisoner Transfers
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the reasons were for prison-to-prison prisoner transit movements in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012. [156690]
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Jeremy Wright: Prisoners are held in establishments that provide appropriate levels of security, are suitable for their gender, age and legal status, provide facilities to reduce their risk of reoffending and, wherever possible, at the lowest cost to the taxpayer.
We do not generally hold data on the individual reasons for a prisoner's transfer. Where this is available, the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost as it would involve a manual trawl through the individual records of every prisoner.
Prisons
Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the real-terms change in spending of (a) prisons and (b) the probation service was in each financial year since 1996-97. [155603]
Jeremy Wright: Figures showing the spend for each financial year adjusted for inflation since 1996-97 for prisons are given in Table 1 below. For the probation service, the figures for each financial year since 2001-02 are given in Table 2. Prior to 2001-02 local probation committees were partly financed by local government under a different financial regime.
Figures for 2012-13 are not yet available as the financial accounts have yet to be finalised.
Over the period covered, changes to the scope of prisons and probation services and the accounting treatment followed in recording expenditure means the ability to make useful comparisons between years is limited.
| Table 1 | ||||
| Prisons total outturn expenditure | ||||
| GDP indices | Nominal costs (£ million) | Adjusted (£ million) | % movement | |
| Table 2 | ||||
| Probation boards and trusts expenditure | ||||
| GDP indices | Nominal costs (£ million) | Adjusted (£ million) | % movement | |
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| Notes: 1. GDP deflators used to adjust for inflation are the latest National Accounts figures from ONS—last updated 27 March 2013. 2. Prison costs include public and private sector prisons. 3. Prison figures from 2005-06 include relevant expenditure met by the newly created National Offender Management Service. 4. Figures exclude costs met by other Government Departments. 5. Probation trusts were created from April 2008 and had replaced all the former probation boards from April 2010 onwards. 6. Probation trusts may also receive income from elsewhere. | ||||
Prisons: Employment
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether prisoners who are not receiving income from work under the Prisoners’ Earnings Act 1996 are not working because of restrictions arising from their health. [155633]
Jeremy Wright: NOMS does not record the number of prisoners who are eligible to work under the Prisoners' Earnings Act 1996. To identify these prisoners would require examining and collating personal records from individual establishments and this would incur disproportionate costs.
Prisons: Firearms
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many prison staff have unspent convictions for firearms offences; [155636]
(2) what requirement there is for the management of HM Prison Ranby to report to his Department instances of convictions of prison staff for firearms offences; and on how many occasions such convictions have been reported in the last five years; [155637]
(3) whether any managers working at HM Prison Ranby have received a conviction for firearms offences while employed at the prison in the last five years; [155638]
(4) how many managers at HM Prison Ranby have received a conviction for firearms offences whilst working at the prison in the last five years; and whether each such manager is still employed by the Prison Service in any establishment. [156268]
Jeremy Wright: Data on the number of prison staff with unspent convictions for firearms offences are not held centrally. To determine this would involve extracting information on convictions or cautions from individual personnel files for each member of staff which could be done only at disproportionate cost.
All disciplinary issues, including convictions for firearms offences, are managed by the prison governor within the prison establishment, in line with the NOMS conduct and discipline policy. There has been one instance within the last five years at HMP Ranby in which a member of staff received a police caution for possession of a hunting gun without a licence. That member of staff is still employed by NOMS at a prison establishment.
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All prison staff are expected to meet high standards of professional and personal conduct. Criminal convictions, receipt of a police caution, reprimands and fixed penalties must always be reported with each case judged on its own merits in line with both conduct and discipline and security vetting policies.
Prisons: Violence
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many incidents of violent misconduct occur in prisons on average on each day. [153960]
Jeremy Wright: Assault incidents account for the large majority of violent misconduct in prison. In 2012, there were an average of 40 assault incidents per day of which around 9% were considered serious.
NOMS and the Prison Officers' Association (POA) are jointly committed to a zero tolerance approach to assaults on staff, visitors and prisoners.
Regulation
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what processes his Department has put in place to (a) monitor, (b) collate cost information on, (c) review and (d) respond to requests to amend or revoke regulations introduced by his Department; [155800]
(2) what the title was of each set of regulations introduced by his Department in each month since May 2010; and which of those regulations have been (a) subject to the (i) one in one out and (ii) one in two out procedure and (b) (i) revoked and (ii) amended; [155822]
(3) if he will provide the estimated cost of each regulation introduced by his Department since May 2010; and what the estimated benefits of each regulation (a) amended and (b) revoked were. [155966]
Mrs Grant: As part of the Red Tape Challenge:
http://www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/home/index
the Government’s initiative to remove disproportionate burdens on business and citizens, the Ministry of Justice has reviewed approximately 150 statutory instruments relating to a range of areas, with a view to repealing or improving those which are no longer necessary. This process included a public, web-based consultation inviting comments and suggestions on which regulations caused unnecessary problems; all the comments received are being thoroughly considered before a final decision is made on the relevant regulations.
The one-in, one-out rule was introduced in 1 September 2010 and applied to regulations introduced from 1 January 2011. One-in, two-out replaced the one-in, one-out rule and applies to regulations introduced from 1 January 2013.
The Ministry of Justice introduced the following regulatory measures under the one-in, one-out rule over the period January 2011 to December 2012:
First Statement of New Regulation (SNR1)—update published in September 2011
EU Maintenance measure with zero net costs
Second Statement of New Regulation (SNR2)—published 26 September 2011
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Implementation of the Legal Services Act 2007 with zero net costs,
MOJ did not introduce any measures during the period of the third and fourth Statements of New Regulation (SNR3 and SNR4) published on 28 February and 17 July 2012 respectively.
The following measures were introduced under the one-in, two-out rule, and included in the fifth Statement of New Regulation (SNR5) published on 17 December 2012. All measures were assessed at zero net costs.
Amendment of the Client Specific rule 6(b) of the Claims Management Regulator's Conduct of Authorised Persons Rules 2007
Claims Management Rules Review (Phase 2). (This will now come into force in July 2013 during the SNR6 period).
Referral Fees in Personal Injury Claims;
Reform of Civil Litigation Funding and Costs in England and Wales (Jackson);
Scheme Rules for the Office of Legal Complaints (legal Ombudsman).
No regulations within the scope of the one-in, one-out or one-in, two-out rule have been revoked or amended.
Scotland
Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what (a) his Department and (b) its non-departmental public bodies procured from companies based in Scotland of a value in excess of £25,000 since May 2010; and what the cost to the public purse was of each such procurement contract. [155772]
Mrs Grant: MOJ suppliers based in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are classified as British in Ministry of Justice finance systems. To filter out those suppliers based in Scotland would require a manual cross reference of postcodes and suppliers with whom the Ministry of Justice has contracts valued in excess of £25,000. The Ministry of Justice is not able to answer this question as it would incur disproportionate costs to obtain the information.
Mr David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will list the legislation his Department has sponsored which has devolved powers to the Scottish Parliament and powers within such legislation since 1998. [156233]
David Mundell: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Scotland Office.
Scotland Office is responsible for maintaining and strengthening the devolution settlement; together with lead policy Departments we have delivered a programme of Scotland Act orders that have provided additional powers to the Scottish Parliament, as well as delivering the Scotland Act 2012 that enhanced the devolution settlement and provided the largest transfer of financial responsibility since 1999.
Further devolution to the Scottish Parliament is principally achieved by way of amendments to schedules 4 and 5 of the Act. Since 1998 the following changes to those schedules have been made. These are presented in summary form.
Amendments to schedule 4 of the Scotland Act 1998
Power to modify the Scotland Act 1998 regarding financial assistance for opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament.
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Powers to modify certain provisions of the Scotland Act 1998 requiring any sum to be payable out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund.
Power to provide that proceedings brought in a court or tribunal against a member of the Scottish Government under the Scotland Act 1998 on human rights grounds have to be brought before the end of a limitation period (since repealed by Scotland Act 2012).
Amendments to schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998
The making of payments to any political party for the purpose of assisting members of the Parliament to perform their parliamentary duties.
A power to allow the Scottish Parliament to conduct a referendum on the independence of Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom, subject to certain conditions.
Financial and economic matters
Powers to set a rate of income tax to be paid by Scottish taxpayers, and taxes in relation to land transactions and landfill.
The interception of any communication made to or by a person detained at a place of detention.
The regulation of air weapons.
Powers in relation to business associations which are social landlords, including in relation to winding up proceedings and procedures giving protection from creditors.
Powers to provide financial assistance for the provision of services (other than postal services and services relating to money or postal orders) to be provided from public post offices.
Powers to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of rail services.
Powers to transfer functions of passenger transport executives or passenger transport authorities relating to rail services, and the allocation of such functions among relevant authorities.
The promotion and construction of railways which start, end and remain in Scotland.
Power to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of air services.
Powers to provide occasional financial or other assistance to or in respect of individuals for the purposes of meeting an immediate short-term need, arising out of exceptional services, to avoid risk to the individual’s well-being, or enabling qualifying individuals to establish or maintain a settled home.
Fire safety on construction sites and on certain premises, including those concerned in the manufacture or storage of chemicals, explosives or flammable materials.
Amendment to part 1 of the Scotland Act 1998
Power to make provision as to the conduct of elections for membership of the Scottish Parliament, and the questioning of such an election and the consequences of irregularities. Made by the Scotland Act 2012 and yet to be brought into force.
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Solicitors Regulation Authority
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what the cost to the Solicitors Regulation Authority was of defending claims of racial discrimination disclosed to the Implementation Group by that body in April 2012; [154096]
(2) how many ethnic minority solicitors have been made subject to (a) charging orders, (b) orders for sale against their property and (c) bankruptcy proceedings in each of the last five years; [154097]
(3) how many former police officers of the (a) Metropolitan police and (b) West Midlands police (i) are currently and (ii) were formerly employed as investigating officers of the Solicitors Regulation Authority; [154098]
Mrs Grant: We do not hold this information. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is the regulatory arm of the Law Society of England and Wales responsible for the conduct of solicitors. It is independent of Government.
Young Offender Institutions
Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what measures he is taking to improve conditions in young offender institutions. [156115]
Jeremy Wright: We are currently considering responses to our consultation ‘Transforming Youth Custody: Putting education at the heart of detention’ which set out our plans for secure colleges. Through this work we are looking at ways of improving outcomes across the youth secure estate, including under 18 young offender institutions (YOIs).
All YOIs (under 18 and over 18) are subject to inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons who monitor performance against the four tests of a healthy prison: purposeful activity, safety, respect and resettlement. HMIP produce recommendations for improvement for each site and an establishment's progress can be found on the Justice website. We are committing to improving provision across all YOIs.
Energy and Climate Change
Climate Change
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence about the potential security implications of climate change for the UK. [157067]
Gregory Barker: DECC Ministers meet regularly with ministerial colleagues from other Government Departments to discuss Government business. However, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change has not met the Secretary of state for Defence recently to discuss the security implications of climate change for the UK.
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The UK recognises that climate change has the potential to act as a "threat-multiplier", exacerbating existing tensions and resource stresses. This poses a risk to the security and prosperity of the UK. The Department is in regular dialogue with other Government Departments, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Ministry of Defence and the Department for International Development, as we work together on these issues.
Climate Change: Central America
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what steps he is taking to ensure cross-departmental co-operation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office over the effects of climate change in Central America; [157066]
(2) what steps he is taking to increase public awareness of the effects of climate change on Central America. [157083]
Gregory Barker: DECC co-operates with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) across its range of international work on climate change: demonstrating leadership domestically and through the EU; building the case for global ambition in key countries, supporting the development of low carbon resilient economies, and ensuring progress within the international negotiations. This includes working with countries according to their individual circumstances.
In the case of Central America, FCO posts have made use of their bilateral funds to increase public awareness of issues in their host countries, including the effects of climate change and the need for international action. These projects are diverse and include climate change education in Belize, biodiversity protection work in Costa Rica and a regional forum on climate change challenges, held in San Salvador.
In addition, the UK has provided £15 million of climate finance to the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility. This facility assists developing countries in their efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and to foster conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (all activities commonly referred to as "REDD+") by providing value to standing forests.
A significant proportion of Central American countries are already participants in the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility. These include Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Nicaragua and Guatemala. Further details on the specific activities supported in Central American countries can be found here:
http://www.forestcarbonpartnership.org/redd-country-participants
The UK has also provided £100 million of climate finance to the Scaling Up Renewable Energy Program (SREP) in low income countries. This is part of the Climate Investment Funds. The SREP supports a number of pilot countries, including Honduras, to scale up the deployment of renewable energy solutions and expand renewables markets. Further details on the specific activities supported in Honduras can be found here:
https://www.climateinvestmentfunds.org/cifnet/?q=country/honduras
The UK Government have taken action to increase public awareness of the likely effects of climate change. This included funding the Met Office Hadley Centre to
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produce a map in 2011 outlining some of the impacts that may occur if the global average temperature rises by 4 °C (7 °F) above the pre-industrial climate average. The map showed that this average rise will not be spread uniformly across the globe and gave an indication of what the likely implications could be for different parts of the world, including Central America.
Climate Change: Polar Regions
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to ensure cross-departmental co-operation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office about the effects of climate change in the polar regions. [157068]
Gregory Barker: DECC works closely with other Government Departments, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development, as well as FCO's attaché network, to address climate change. Within this, we co-operate with the FCO in relation to the effects of climate change in the polar regions. Some of the ways in which we work together include:
DECC is a member of the Cross-Whitehall Arctic Network, hosted by the FCO, which regularly meets to discuss all matters pertaining to the Arctic including the impacts of climate change.
DECC and the FCO are working together to produce the climate change elements of the Government's Arctic Policy Framework, which will be published this summer.
Both DECC and the FCO work closely with the Natural Environment Research Council, and the British Antarctic Survey in particular, on developing Arctic and Antarctic climate science.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with the British Antarctic Survey regarding that body's research into climate change in the polar regions. [157069]
Gregory Barker: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change has not had any recent discussions with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), regarding its research into climate change in the polar regions. However, I visited BAS in 2011, to learn more about its research work. My officials are in regular contact with BAS scientists and one of its scientists has been working on a part-time basis with DECC as a Government Knowledge Integrator, since August 2012.
Conditions of Employment
Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people in his Department are employed on zero-hours contracts. [157131]
Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change does not employ any people on zero-hour contracts.
Electricity
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when his Department will publish its plan for electricity demand reduction. [157149]
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Gregory Barker: The Government Response to the Consultation on Options to Reduce Electricity Demand setting out the way forward for electricity demand reduction was published on 21 May and copies are available in the Library of the House.
Along with the Consultation Response, the Government confirmed that energy demand reduction measure will be included in the proposed Capacity Market in the Energy Bill.
Energy: Conservation
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much energy the Industrial Energy Efficiency Programme was forecast to save by (a) 2015 and (b) 2010 when his Department reduced that programme's level of funding in 2010. [157148]
Gregory Barker: The Industrial Energy Efficiency Programme was established in September 2011 and its three main elements are the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme and Climate Change Agreements. There has been no reduction in funding for this programme. Funding has increased annually to 2013 in recognition of the need to implement Phase III of the EU ETS, and start the simplified Climate Change Agreements and CRC Energy Efficiency Schemes.
The IEE programme has contributed to wider strategic developments, most recently the Energy Efficiency Strategy published on 12 November 2012 at
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-efficiency-opportunities-in-the-uk
and the "Future of Heating: Meeting the challenge" policy document published on 26 March 2013 at
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-future-of-heating-meeting-the-challenge
The projected energy/carbon savings for 2015 and 2020 for the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme and Climate Change Agreements are set out as follows as published in DECC's Updated Energy and Emissions projections (UEP) in 2010 and 2012 and in the 2012 Energy Efficiency Strategy.
The EU ETS is an EU-wide cap and trade system. In 2020, emissions from sectors covered by the EU ETS will be 21% lower than in 2005.(1) Given that a number of different policies have an impact on energy consumption and emissions in the sectors covered by the system, estimates for savings in the UK that are attributable to the EU ETS alone are not available from DECC's latest analytical projections.
It should be noted that the scope and coverage of each scheme has changed since 2010 due to EU amendments of the EU ETS and regulatory simplification of CCA and CRC Energy Efficiency.
| MtCO2 | ||||
| 2010 UEP projections | 2012 UEP projections | |||
| Scheme | By 2015 | By 2020 | By 2015 | By 2020 |
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| MtCO2 | ||||
| 2010 UEP projections | 2012 Energy Efficiency Strategy | |||
| Scheme | By 2015 | By 2020 | 2008-15 | 2008-20 |
| (1) http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/ets/index_en.htm (2) Policy savings in UEP are estimated against a 2009 baseline. Since CCAs pre-date 2009, UEP figures are estimated legacy and planned savings from the extension of the scheme over the period 2008 to 2015 and to 2020 for targets set up to 2010. Estimates published in 2012 correspond to the analysis published by the Energy Efficiency Strategy which includes legacy savings but excludes emissions savings from new CCA targets that were set in December 2012. | ||||
Energy: ICT
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the total amount of energy consumed by data centres in the UK over the last 10 years. [157151]
Gregory Barker: No estimate has been made of the energy consumption of data centres across the UK.
The Department is currently tendering for a major research project to estimate detailed energy use within non-domestic buildings. This project, when complete, should provide a more detailed breakdown of energy consumption in non-domestic buildings than is currently available.
Energy: Romford
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme on household energy prices in Romford constituency. [157087]
Gregory Barker: In March DECC published its updated assessment of the impacts of energy and climate change policies on UK energy prices and bills(1). Annex D presents an estimated breakdown of an average household gas and electricity bill in 2013. It shows that the costs of the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) are estimated to account for £8, or less than 1%, of an average UK household dual fuel energy bill (in real 2012 prices).
This estimate is based on an EU ETS price of around £6 t/CO2 (real 2012 prices). The EUETS allowance price is currently lower than this, clearing at €3.43 t/CO2 on 22 May 2013, which equates to around £2.9 t/CO2 when converted to sterling and also expressed in real 2012 prices.
The analysis does not look at the impacts in specific geographical locations.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/172923/130326_-_Price_and_Bill_Impacts_Report_Final.pdf